Multiple output electrostatic recording system

ABSTRACT

An improved xerographic copying/duplicating system arranged in conjunction with an improved aperture card handling and projection system which are controlled by an improved control circuit and drive system such that high-quality copies of film images are reproduced on copy sheet of varied size and at varied rates. Charging rates and exposure intensities and times are varied according to recording speeds in response to control signals.

United States Patent Vlach et al.

[ Mar. 14, 1972 MULTIPLE OUTPUT ELECTROSTATIC RECORDING SYSTEM Inventors: John J. Vlach, Penfield; James B. Baker,

Canandaigua; Edward H. Burnham; Edward J. Lavander, both of Rochester; Gary L. Schluntz, Penfield, all of NY.

Assignee: Xerox Corporation, Rochester, NY.

Filed: May 14, 1969 Appl. No.: 824,541

US. Cl ..355/3 Int. Cl. ..G03g 15/20 Field of Search ..355/3 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,357,325 12/1967 Eichom ..355/3 Primary Examiner-John M. Horan Attamey-Norman E. Schrader, James J. Ralabate and Melvin A. Klein [57] ABSTRACT An improved xerographic copying/duplicating system arranged in conjunction with an improved aperture card handling and projection system which are controlled by an improved control circuit and drive system such that high-quality copies of film images are reproduced on copy sheet of varied size and at varied rates. Charging rates and exposure intensities and times are varied according to recording speeds in response to control signals.

7 Claims, 65 Drawing Figures Patented March 14, 1972 3,649,114

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Patented March 14, 1972 55 Sheets-Sheet 5 7 Patented March 14, 1972 55 Sheets-Sheet 9 a w I i I I I o r 1 I r us FIG: /3

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55 Sheets-Sheet 18 Patented March 14, 1972 3,649,114

55 Sheets-Sheet 19 

1. An automatic recording apparatus for producing copies of film frames arranged on aperture cards at preselected rates comprising card handling and scan means having a movable carriage for supporting and moving cards each having a film frame thereon in seriatim past a fixed optical axis, an optical system including a source of illumination for projecting a flowing image of said film frame onto a moving light sensitive recording member in timed relation therewith adapted for movement past copy processing stations including a development station at which the image is developed and a transfer station at which the image is transferred onto a moving sheet, sheet feed means for feeding sheets to a sheet transport means in response to electrical signals sheet transport means for transporting sheets received from said sheet feed means past said moving recording member at a transfer station at which the developed image is transferred and delivering said sheets to a copy tray, variable speed drive means associated with said card handling and scan means, said recording member, and said sheet transport means to effect various preselected speeds thereof in response to electrical signals, fuser means positioned in the sheet path operative to fuse developed images on sheets which are moved therepast at preselected rates in response to electrical signals, and circuit means to supply electrical signals to said variable speed drive means and said fuser means to enable different copy rates to be utilized in a unitary system.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said circuit means includes switching means for stopping automatic operation of the aforementioned recording apparatus for a predetermined time to enable manual feed of sheets into said sheet transport means for transport past said processing stations and delivery to said output tray and then resuming automatic operation without altering said sheet feed means.
 3. Automatic recording apparatus for producing copies of film frames arranged on aperture cards at preselected rates comprising card handling and scan means having a movable carriage for supporting and moving cards each having a film frame thereon in seriatim past a fixed optical axis, an optical system including a source of illumination for projecting a flowing image of said film frame onto a moving light sensitive recording member in timed relation therewith adapted for movement past copy processing stations including a development station at which the image is developed and a transfer station at which the image is transferred onto a moving sheet, exposure means disposed on the optical path including a first slit defining portion and a second slit defining portion said first slit defining portion being open and said second slit defining portion having a semi-transparent plate containing substantially parallel opaque lines thereon and substantially parallel transparent lines between said opaque lines with a spacing between said opaque lines being substantially equal, said slit defining portion as being movably mounted in close proximity to said recording member surface whereby each slit defining portion can be moved into and out of said optical path in response to electrical signals, sheet feed means for feeding cut sheets to a sheet transport means in response to electrical signals, sheet transport means for transporting sheets received from said sheet feed means past said moving recording member at a transfer station at which a developed image is transferred and delivering said sheets to a tray, variable speed drive means associated with said card handling and scan means, said recording member, and said sheet transport means to vary the speeds thereof in response to electrical signals, fuser means positioned in the sheet path operative to fuse developed images supported on sheets moved therepast in accordance with preselected rates in response to electrical signals, and circuit means to supply electrical signals to said variable speed drive means, said fuser means, and said exposure means to enable different preselected copy rates and exposures to be effected depending on whether line or varying tone type images are to be reproduced.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said first slit defining portion is formed with a pair of gates movable toward and away from the optical axis to form a variable width exposure slit, and means to move said gates toward and away from the optical axis to render different time exposures corresponding to the different rates at which said recording member is moved in response to signals supplied from said circuit means.
 5. Automatic recording apparatus for reproducing enlarged copies of film frame arranged on aperture cards onto copy sheets comprising card handling and scan means having a movable carRiage for supporting and moving aperture cards each having a film frame thereon in seriatim from a start of scan position to an end of scan position relative to a fixed optical axis, a recording drum member journaled for rotation to pass a plurality of processing stations, charging means at a charging station to place a uniform electrostatic charge on said recording drum member, said charging means including a corona generating member adapted to receive a variable charge current in response to electrical signals, an optical system including a variable source of illumination for projecting a flowing image of said film frame onto said moving recording member in timed relation therewith in response to electrical signals to form an electrostatic latent image thereon, developer means at a development station to cascade developer material comprising carrier granules and toner particles across said recording drum member, sheet feed means for feeding cut sheets to a sheet transport apparatus in response to electrical signals sheet transport means for transporting copy sheets received from said sheet feed means past said moving recording edum member at a transfer station at which a developed image is transferred and delivering said sheets to a tray, variable speed drive means associated with said card handling and scan means, said drum member, and said sheet transport means fuser means positioned in the sheet path operative to fuse developed images supported on sheets in response to electrical signals, and circuit means to supply electrical signals to said variable speed drive means, said charging means, said source of illumination, and said fuser means to enable different copy rates to be utilized in a unitary system.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein when said recording drum member is driven at surface speeds ranging from about 10 to about 40 feet per minute, said charge current ranges from about 10 Mu a to about 70 Mu a.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said developer means includes drive means operative at a constant speed and said carrier granules comprise steel beads of at least 450 micron in size. 